Shoe and shoeing method

ABSTRACT

A shoe for a hoofed animal, e.g. a horseshoe, is described which comprises a body made from a thermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplastic material which has a softening point of less than 100° C., such as a polycaprolactone. A method of shoeing a hoofed animal, such as a horse, is also described.

The present invention relates to a shoe for a hoofed animal, such as ahorseshoe, and to a method for shoeing a hoofed animal, such as a horse.

The hoof on the foot of a horse comprises a curved covering of hornwhich protects the front of, and partially encloses, the end of thecorresponding digit of the horse. It thus corresponds to a nail on afinger or toe of a human being. The forward end of the hoof is known asthe toe, from which the side walls of the hoof extend rearwardly to aheel on either side of the horse's foot. The hoof surrounds a body oftissue which surrounds the digit itself so as to form a capsule, theunderside of which forms the sole. Between the hoof and this body oftissue there is an intermediate layer of tissue called the white line.At the rearward end of the horse's foot there is an elastic horny pad ofgenerally triangular shape which is known as the frog.

Domesticated horses are normally shod with horseshoes. A horseshoe isusually attached by nailing to the underside of the hoof to protect itfrom damage. Conventional horseshoes for horses with healthy feet aremade from metal, such as cast iron, steel, or an aluminium alloy. Onecommon design of horseshoe is generally arcuate in shape and sized so asto conform to the size of the hoof to be shod. The size and weight ofthe horseshoe is normally determined by the type of horse being shod.For example, a working horse will be fitted with heavier shoes than aracehorse. In some designs there may be an upstanding tab at the frontof the shoe, or a pair of upstanding tabs positioned one to each side ofthe front of the shoe, designed to assist in locating the shoe on thehoof and to provide additional protection for the toe of the horse'sfoot. Other designs of metal horseshoe are known, for example, so-calledegg, straight and heart-bar shoes; these are often recommended for useon horses with hoof or lameness problems.

The traditional way of making horseshoes is for the farrier to forgethem from bars of iron which are heated on an open hearth forge,hammered to shape on an anvil, and pierced to provide holes for thehorseshoe nails. A farrier can produce shoes in advance for fitting to ahorse with healthy feet which he has shod previously and whose hoofmeasurements he already knows. Alternatively he can purchase factorymade shoes which can in suitable cases be fitted as received to a horsewith healthy feet or which may require to be modified somewhat in shape,or in the position or direction of the holes for the horseshoe nails,using a forge and anvil. Often the horse will be brought to thefarrier's smithy to be shoed but many horses are shod at their owner'spremises, in which case the farrier will normally bring a portable forgewith him in case of need.

Plastics and rubber horseshoes are also known in the art, particularlyfor shoeing horses suffering from hoof problems. For example, rubbershoes made from a shock-absorbing rubber bonded to a steel or aluminiumcore are available on the market, as are also horseshoes made frompolyurethane and from plastics moulded on to an aluminium core. Some ofthese mimic the form of the conventional metal shoes and, likewise, areattached to the hoof by nails. Another type of currently availablehorseshoe is sold in kit form, using polyurethane base plates that haveto be cut to the shape of the horse's hoof. Plastics tags are thenwelded at intervals to the outer rim of the base in an upwardly andradially inward fashion. The shoes are then attached to the hoof bycementing the plastic tags to the outer wall of the hoof. Plasticshorseshoes have a number of advantages over metal shoes; for example,they are lighter and can be affixed to a horse's hoof by glueing insteadof nailing. Thus they are beneficial for use when a horse is sufferingfoot problems because they obviate the use of nails. Such foot problemsmay include laminitis, white line disease (or fungal onychomycosis),navicular disease, sand cracks, or weak heels. Laminitis is a painfulcondition in which the hoof becomes partly detached from the rest of thehoof capsule along the white line. This can be accompanied by splittingof the hoof. Driving a nail into a hoof in such a condition canexacerbate the problem besides being painful for the horse.

In order to treat an injury to or a disease of a horse's foot, it isusual to cut or abrade away the affected material. Since the pathogenswhich attack the hoof are generally anaerobic, this helps to speed up acure. However, there is then the problem of providing support to thetrimmed hoof so that the horse can still put weight on its foot withoutundue discomfort and without exacerbating any misalignment of thehorse's leg or, in particular, of the digital bone of the foot, due tothe lameness condition from which the horse is suffering. This supportcan be provided by use of a therapeutic shoe and by using a hoofreplacement material to replace the parts that have been cut or abradedaway. If the farrier elects to fit a metal shoe then he may have toundertake considerable work to forge a horseshoe of the appropriateshape. If he decides to opt for a plastics or rubber shoe then he mayhave to cut the shoe to shape or use chemicals with undesirable sideeffects in order to provide a replacement for the hoof material and anytissue that has been cut or abraded away. If the farrier decides thatthe horse's foot needs realignment he may decide to provide thehorseshoe with a lateral, medial, anterior or posterior extension. Thisis difficult to effect with a preformed horseshoe.

Foals are sometimes born with deformities such as weak flexor tendons,or club foot syndrome, or may require treatment to correct toe in or toeout conformation. In such instances the farrier will often fit the foalwith corrective shoes. One type of foal corrective shoe is formedentirely from a heavy duty plastics material with an upstanding outercuff which is glued or cemented to the hoof wall. Such shoes can beprovided with an appropriate wedge shape and/or with an appropriatelateral, medial, anterior or posterior extension to correct thecondition being treated. It has also been proposed to use therapeuticcuffs which can be glued or cemented to the outer wall of the hoof afteran appropriate metal shoe has been rivetted to it or to which a shoe canbe carefully nailed.

In some cases the farrier may choose to put a pad of leather or of anelastomeric material between the hoof and the horseshoe.

European Patent Specification No. 0 893 057 A1 discloses an open plastichorseshoe with holes for nails and having a bridge piece positioned onone arm for adjustment of the distance between the two arms of thehorseshoe.

Use for shoeing a horse of a preformed strip of L-section adhered to alower wall of its hoof and then adhering a plastics horseshoe thereto isproposed in New Zealand Patent Specification No. 184321.

A horseshoe adhered to a hoof is described in New Zealand PatentSpecification No. 221274.

In German Patent Specification No. 19732269 there is taught a horseshoewith an outer hoof cover used as the walking surface which is secured tothe hoof by at least two elements. A contact strip binding forms anintermediate layer between the hoof surface and the outer hoofprotection. The hoof protection can be made from a thermoplasticmaterial, such as polyester, or vinyl ester, or from an elastomer or ametal.

International Patent Publication No. WO99/15006 describes a helicalstock from which circumferential lengths can be cut to be used ashorseshoes, the stock comprising a helical coil of plastics materialwound about an axis such that the cross section of the coil in a planecontaining the axis is constant in shape for any such plane andsubstantially corresponds to the cross section of a horseshoe in thesame plane.

British Patent Specification No. 2334424 teaches a horseshoe having ametal core with a polyurethane coating.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,498 proposes a custom horseshoe pad comprising apolymer composition containing at least about 50% by weight of highmolecular caprolactone polymers wherein the composition has a meltingpoint of from about 120° F. to about 200° F. (about 48.9° C. to about93.3° C.). The molecular weight of the caprolactone polymers can range,for example, from about 35,000 to about 60,000. The pad covers areas ofthe horse's foot that are sensitive and vulnerable to disease anddamage. The horseshoe pad is positioned between a horseshoe and the hoofand is intended to expand the overall protection afforded by thestandard horseshoe without obviating the need for the shoe.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,350 there is described a rigid and permeableprosthesis that fills the debrided portion of the wall of a horse's hoofhaving white line disease or the like. This prosthesis includes a massof particulate material with individual particles coated with a resin soas to cleave to one another at all contact areas and transfer weight,while leaving interconnected pore spaces that allow air and liquidmedications to reach the diseased area during the healing process.

International Patent Publication No. WO 94/06285 proposes a lightweightplastic horseshoe which is held to the bottom of a horse's hoof bygluing it thereto and by additionally providing preformed spaceddepressions in the underside of the hoof into which extend fastenersattached to the shoe.

In International Patent Publication No. WO 94/12024 a protectivecovering for a horse's hoof is described which comprises a horseshoemade of polyurethane having convex and concave edges and a polymericfabric, for example a woven polyurethane fabric, bonded to thehorseshoe. The shoe is fitted to the horse's hoof and secured theretousing an acrylic structural adhesive both between the hoof and the shoeand between the polymeric fabric and the outside of the horse's hoof.

A horseshoe with a core of metal which is surrounded by a plastic orrubber material and has apertures for intended for nails is suggested inInternational Patent Publication No. WO 94/22296.

In International Patent Publication No. WO 95/22252 there is proposed amethod of shoeing a horse in which a particulate compound comprising aground up polymer and an adhesive compound. This particulate compound ispoured into a mould into which the horse's hoof, which has previouslybeen cleaned and had an adhesive applied to all voids, is lowered.

International Patent Publication No. WO 96/01044 is concerned with ahorseshoe having holes for horseshoe nails and including a resilientmaterial.

Another proposal is to be found in International Patent Publication No.WO 98/24312. This comprises a core of metal with holes for horseshoenails which is substantially entirely enclosed in a substantiallydeformable material such as a rubber or rubber-like material.

A hoof protector for hooves of horses is suggested in InternationalPatent Publication No. WO 99/40782 which has a horseshoe shaped basebody of plastic and at least one fixed front setting element.

International Patent Publication No. WO 99/65298 describes ashock-absorbing horseshoe which is secured to a horse's hoof with nailswhose nailheads abut against an intermediate resilient layer.

European Patent Specification No. 0 651 943 A1 teaches a boot forhorses' hooves made of flexible material.

A plastic covering for a horse's hoof with a two part laminateconstruction for attachment to the hoof of a horse using nails isdisclosed in European Patent Specification No. 0 823 209 A2. The upperlayer comprises a stable plastic material, such as a thermally formableplastic (e.g. polyurethane, polyamide or an elastomer), while the lowerlayer is less hard and is also formed from a plastic.

European Patent Specification No. 0 832 560 A1 teaches a horseshoe whichis at least partially enclosed in a resilient material which has holesfor conventional nails.

European Patent Specification No. 0 860 115 A1 discloses a horseshoewith a shock-absorbing sole plate with a peripheral indentation forreceipt of a steel band to which are fixed six supports through whichnails can be driven into the horse's hoof.

As pointed out above most, if not all, plastics horseshoes currently onthe market suffer from the disadvantage that they are time-consuming andcumbersome to apply, particularly those that have to be assembled from akit of parts. This is at least in part due to the necessity to make thehorseshoe fit a damaged foot from which a considerable amount of hoofmay have been cut away. Since the horse is lame it will usually beinconvenient or impractical for it to be brought to the smithy so thatthe farrier has to take his equipment to the horse's own stable. Thistends to make it more inconvenient for the farrier to have to reshape ahorseshoe away from his own smithy.

There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved form of horseshoewhich can be used in therapy for treatment of such diseases as laminitisand which is simple to apply to the foot of a horse being treated. Thereis a further need for a novel design of horseshoe which can be readilyadapted to fit and provide support for a foot of a hoofed animal fromwhich a variable amount of hoof material, and possibly also othertissue, may have been cut or abraded away. There is still further a needfor a horseshoe which can be readily formed to an appropriate shape fortreatment of a horse that is suffering from foot problems, particularlywhen such shaping has to be accomplished in the horse's own stable orstableyard rather than at a farrier's smithy. Additionally there is aneed for a horseshoe which can be fitted to the hoof of a horsesuffering from laminitis or other condition causing lameness without theuse of nails and in a manner which substantially avoids trauma for thehorse. Yet again there is a need for an improved method of shoeing ahorse that obviates the need to drive nails into the hoof of the horse.There is also a need for a method of shoeing a horse suffering from adebilitating condition, such as laminitis, which avoids trauma for thehorse. Moreover there is a need to provide a novel method of shoeing ahorse which avoids the use of a forge. Another need is for a method ofshoeing a horse which utilises horseshoes which can be moulded to a hoofand attached thereto in a simple manner without use of a forge.

The present invention accordingly seeks to provide an improved form ofhorseshoe which is suitable for use in treatment of laminitis and otherconditions for which horse's feet may require treatment and which issimple to apply to the foot of a horse being treated. It further seeksto provide a new form of horseshoe which can be readily shaped orotherwise adapted to fit and provide support for a foot of a hoofedanimal from which hoof material, and possibly also other tissue, hasbeen cut or abraded away. In addition it seeks to provide a horseshoewhich can be readily formed to an appropriate shape for treatment of ahorse that is suffering from laminitis or other foot problems. It seeksmoreover to provide a horseshoe which can be formed quickly and simplyto an appropriate shape even under the unfavourable conditions which mayexist in a horse's own stable or stableyard, rather than in theconvenient surroundings of the farrier's own smithy. It also seeks toprovide a plastics horseshoe that is more easily fitted to the hoof,with an improved fitting quality and the additional support required fortherapeutic purposes. Additionally it seeks to provide a horseshoe whichcan be fitted to a horse's hoof without nailing and in a manner whichminimises any trauma for the animal. An additional objective of theinvention is to provide a novel and improved method of shoeing a hoofedanimal, such as a horse, without use of nails driven through the shoesinto the animal's hoof. A still further objective is to provide a noveland improved method of shoeing a horse without causing trauma to a horsewhich may be suffering from a debilitating and painful condition, suchas laminitis. Yet another objective is to provide such a method whichavoids use of a forge. There is also the objective of providing a noveland improved method of shoeing a horse which utilises horseshoes whichcan be moulded to the hoof of a horse and attached thereto withoutrequiring use of a temperature high enough to require use of a forge.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided ashoe for a hoofed animal comprising a body made from a thermoplasticcomposition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplastic material whichhas a softening point of less than 100° C.

The invention further provides a method of shoeing a hoofed animal whichcomprises:

(a) providing a shoe for a hoof of the animal, the shoe comprising abody which is made from a thermoplastic composition which comprises amatrix of a thermoplastic material having a softening point of less than100° C. and which has a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, inuse, with the ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced fromthe lower ground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, theunderside of a foot of a hoofed animal, the body having around at leasta part of its upper foot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheralflange portion, and the shoe being adapted to be fitted, in use, on anunderside of the hoof with the flange portion extending upwards from aground border of the hoof adjacent a lower portion of an outer hornywall of the hoof;

(b) forming a plurality of indentations in the lower portion of theouter horny wall of the hoof;

(c) heating the shoe to a temperature sufficient to soften thethermoplastic material but below its melting point;

(d) placing the heated shoe against the underside of the hoof with itsflange portion adjacent the lower portion of the outer horny wall of thehoof; and

(e) pressing the flange portion of the heated shoe into contact with theouter horny wall of the hoof so as to cause material of the flangeportion to enter each of the plurality of indentations, wherebyfollowing cooling of the shoe the shoe is retained on the hoof.

The thermoplastic material is desirably chosen so that the thermoplasticcomposition is hard at ambient temperatures and at hoof soletemperatures but is softenable by immersion in hot water, preferablyboiling water or near boiling water. In addition it should desirablypossess at least moderate abrasion resistance. The thermoplasticsmaterial preferably has a melting point or a melting point range of lessthan 100° C. Even more preferably it has a freezing point of at leastabout 30° C., preferably at least about 35° C., and a melting point ormelting point range of less than about 95° C., more preferably less thanabout 90° C., and even more preferably less than about 75° C. Oneparticularly preferred material is a polycaprolactone. Polycaprolactonesare commercially available under the trade marks CAPA® from SolvayInterox Limited, Baronet Road, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 6HB, UnitedKingdom and TONE® from Union Carbide Corporation of 39 Old RidgeburyRoad, Danbury, Conn. 06817-0001, United States of America. The materialssold under the trade mark CAPA® are sold in granule form and aredescribed as polyesters of ε-caprolactone and butane-1,4-diol. Aparticular advantage of the use of a polycaprolactone is that it isfully biodegradable. One suitable material is a polycaprolactone havinga freezing point of about 35° C., and a melting point range of fromabout 58° C. to about 60° C. Such a material has a molecular weight offrom about 48,000 Daltons to about 52,000 Daltons and is sold under thetrade designation CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone. It is also possible toblend CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone with minor amounts, for example up toabout 25% by weight or more, e.g. up to about 40% by weight, of anotherpolycaprolactone such as CAPA® 680 polycaprolactone and/or with lesseramounts, for example up to about 10% by weight, of CAPA® 640polycaprolactone. CAPA® 680 polycaprolactone is reported to have amelting point of about 60 to 62° C. and a molecular weight of about80,000 Daltons, while CAPA® 640 polycaprolactone is reported to have amelting point of from 58 to 60° C. and a molecular weight of about37,000 Daltons. A particularly preferred thermoplastic materialcomprises a mixture of about 2 parts by weight of CAPA® 650polycaprolactone and about 1 part by weight of CAPA® 680polycaprolactone.

A preferred form of shoe according to the invention comprises a bodymoulded from a thermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of athermoplastic material having a freezing point of at least about 30° C.and a melting point or melting point range of less than about 95° C.,the body having a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, in use,with the ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced from thelower ground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, the underside ofa foot of a hoofed animal, such as a horse, the body having around atleast a part of its upper foot-contacting surface an upstandingperipheral flange portion adapted in use to abut against at least a partof the outer wall of the foot of a horse or other hoofed animal. In sucha shoe intended for use on a horse, the body may comprise an arcuate barportion shaped to underlie the hoof. In addition the two ends of the barportion may be joined one to another by a crosspiece. Moreover the shoemay include a frogpiece intended to underlie the frog of the horse'sfoot and which may be provided with a cut out portion that extends fromthe rearward end of the frogpiece part way towards the front end of thefrogpiece so as to facilitate flexing of the shoe. If desired, theflange portion may include an upstanding rear flange portion adapted toabut against the heels of the hoof. Such a shoe can be moulded as a onepiece moulding. It can have a chamfered portion on its underside at itsfront end which underlies the toe of the horse's hoof, in use. Otherwisethe under surface of the shoe may be substantially planar.

The flange portion may be continuous or discontinuous. It may be adaptedso as to extend, in use, from one side wall around the toe of thehorse's hoof to the other side wall. Alternatively the flange portionmay be adapted to extend, in use, from the toe of the horse's hoof backtowards each of the heels thereof a distance which is less than theoverall peripheral distance from the toe to the heel. Instead of acontinuous flange portion it is possible to utilise a plurality of tabportions or to use a flange portion whose height varies along itslength, such as a crenellated flange portion.

The flange portion may taper in section from its root towards its upperfree rim portion. Thus, for example, it may taper in section from athickness of about 5 mm at its root to about 3 mm at its upper free rim.Typically the body is about 10 mm deep and the flange portion extendsupwards for about 20 mm, making the overall height of the horseshoeabout 30 mm. It can be made in a variety of sizes. For example, it maymeasure about 125 mm from front to back and about 105 mm across.However, larger sizes, e.g. for carthorses, or smaller sizes, e.g. foruse in correction of foal's foot deformities, can be produced inaccordance with the teachings of the invention.

In use of a horseshoe of the invention, the farrier typically firstremoves any hoof and tissue that may be damaged. Then the horse's hoofcan be treated by rasping a number of horizontal key-in lines around thebottom 2 to 3 cm or so of the outer wall. The wall of the hoof is thencleaned with acetone or, preferably, surgical spirit, prior to which thefarrier should don protective gloves. Latex gloves are suitable. Ahorseshoe of the appropriate size according to the invention is thenselected and the toe can, if necessary, be worked to create a bevellededge at the front of the shoe, sloping in an upwardly outward directionfrom the underside, to provide a larger ground bearing surface area andto facilitate clearance of the toe of the hoof over the ground, therebyreducing the risk of the horse jarring its infected foot. This processcan alternatively be performed after the horseshoe has been fitted.

The horseshoe is then placed into a non-reactive liquid, e.g. water,which has been raised to a temperature greater than the freezing pointof the thermoplastic material and preferably above its softening pointor softening point range. Hence the temperature of the water or otherliquid is preferably at least about 60° C. and preferably at least about80° C. In practice it has been found that a bucket filled with boilingor near boiling water will retain sufficient heat to enable fitting ofat least one horseshoe to be completed. The thermoplastic materialremains in the liquid until it becomes soft and pliable. This ischaracterised by the flange of the horseshoe turning transparent. Thehorseshoe is removed from the liquid before the entire mass turnstransparent so as to ensure that it retains its form. This usually takesless than 2 minutes, e.g. about 90 seconds, depending upon the size ofthe shoe, the temperature of the water and the material used.

Alternatively some other means of heating the thermoplastic material canbe used, such as a blow torch or hot air blower. However, the use of hotwater has the advantage that it reduces the tackiness of the softenedhorseshoe and hence of it sticking to the farrier's gloves or otherobjects with which it may come in contact.

When the horseshoe has softened sufficiently to become manuallydeformable, the horseshoe is then fitted to the horse's foot by pressingthe softened shoe firmly onto the hoof thereby deforming the uppersurface of the horseshoe to fit the horse's foot and by pressing theflange portion against the outer surface of the hoof horn outer wall. Itis preferable to apply the softened horseshoe heel end first, using thefrog as a datum. Special care should be taken to ensure that the shoe ismoulded tightly round the hoof. The flange is arranged such that it isin continuous contact with the wall of the hoof around at least a partof its circumference. The flange may extend towards each heel of thehoof only a part of the overall distance from the toe to the heel of thehoof. In this case the heel is free to flex somewhat in use as the horsemoves. Alternatively the flange portion can extend substantially theentire distance from the toe of the hoof to its heel on each side of thehoof. In this case the flange portion can be bonded to the hoof, or whatremains of it, around the entire periphery of the hoof from one heel tothe other. Moreover it can in this latter case also continue across therear of the horseshoe so that it extends across the rear of the horse'sfoot.

Each horseshoe can thus be moulded so as to be custom made to match theunique features of each hoof. In addition, if the farrier wishes tobuild up the horseshoe at any point it is a simple matter to soften someadditional polycaprolactone material and then, after cleaning the hoofif necessary, to press the additional material on the softened shoe inthe appropriate place.

When the shoe has been satisfactorily shaped to the horse's hoof a rapidcoolant can be applied which causes the thermoplastic to re-solidify.Suitable coolants are sold in aerosol dispensers for use in plumbing. Asuitable coolant is available from Poynton Ltd, of 60 High Street,Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9AT under the trade mark IMPRINT™. Thisproduct is described by its suppliers as a self-propelling mixture ofnot more than 10% dimethyl ether and the balance1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethylene. Re-solidification of the horseshoe ischaracterised by the horseshoe becoming opaque again as it hardens.

The shoe can be cemented to the hoof by application of a suitablebonding agent between the flange of the horseshoe and the hoof. Suitablebonding agents include those sold under the trade marks Equithane™ andBond-N-Flex™. A particularly preferred bonding agent is that availableunder the trade mark IMPRINT™ from Poynton Ltd, of 60 High Street,Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9AT, which is described as a two-partmethacrylate adhesive whose components comprise not more than 55% byweight methyl methacrylate and not more than 8% by weight methacrylicacid. The bonding agent can be applied between the flange portion overits entire length. Hence, in one form of horseshoe, bonding agent can beapplied over the entire periphery of the hoof, from heel to heel, suchthat the bonding agent is lipping the top of the flange. In otherdesigns, however, the flange portion does not extend back as far as theheels so that it is adhered to the hoof, or what remains of it, onlyover a part of the entire periphery of the hoof. Application of thebonding agent can be achieved by prising the edge of the flange awayfrom the hoof wall and injecting the bonding agent into the cavity.

Alternatively and more usually a bonding agent can be applied to theflange portion of the softened horseshoe and normally also to the hoofhorn outer wall against which the flange portion is to abut before thehorseshoe is applied to the horse's hoof.

It is an advantage of the IMPRINT™ bonding agent that it can be appliedto the softened horseshoe immediately after it has been taken out of hotwater, even though it is still wet.

It will usually be advantageous to warm the bonding agent somewhat priorto application so as to speed up curing thereof. The horizontal key-inlines rasped into the wall of the hoof improve the grip of the bondingagent on the wall. Attaching the horseshoe to the hoof in this wayprevents the damage caused by nailing the shoe in place.

Any final adjustments can then be made to ensure a comfortable fit forthe horse.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not restricted toshoes for horses but includes shoes for any hoofed animal. Hence theteachings of the invention can be applied with equal success to shoesfor such hoofed animals as donkeys, mules, zebras, and cows.

The thermoplastic composition may further comprise a minor amount (e.g.from about 1% by volume up to about 25% by volume) of a filler material,such as a dye or a rubber in crumb, chunk, or granule form.

If desired, the underside of the shoe can be provided with one or morerubber inserts therein.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect some preferred embodiments thereof will now bedescribed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a horseshoe according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the horseshoe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the horseshoe of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a larger horseshoe than that of FIGS. 1 to 3according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a smaller horseshoe than that of FIGS. 1 to 3according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a further modified form of horseshoeaccording to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the horseshoe of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the horseshoe of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a horse's hoof illustrating a first step inshoeing a horse using the method of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a solar view of the hoof of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a further side view of the hoof of FIGS. 9 and 10 showing alater stage in the method of the invention with a horseshoe according tothe invention in place on the horse's hoof;

FIG. 12 is a solar view of the hoof of FIG. 11 with its attached shoe;

FIG. 13 is a sagittal section through the hoof of FIGS. 9 and 10;

FIG. 14 is a similar sagittal section through the hoof of FIGS. 11 and12;

FIG. 15 illustrates diagrammatically sagittal sections through a horse'shoof showing various possible types of indentation;

FIG. 16 is a side view of a horse's hoof showing diagrammaticallyvarious possible shapes of indentation;

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of a further form of horseshoe constructed inaccordance with the invention; and

FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the horseshoe of FIG. 17.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, a horseshoe 1 of the heartbartype is moulded in one piece from CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone, which isavailable from Solvay Interox Limited, Baronet Road, Warrington,Cheshire WA4 6HB, United Kingdom. It can be made from thepolycaprolactone by any suitable technique. As examples of mouldingtechniques there can be mentioned casting and injection moulding. It isalso possible to heat polycaprolactone granules in a vessel containingwater until the granules coalesce to form a gel, to mould the resultinggel with the fingers into a sausage-like shape, to place thesausage-like shape in a female part of a mould, and then to close themould with a male member and apply a weight to the male member to causethe material of the sausage-like shape to conform to the shape of themould cavity. The length of horseshoe 1 is about 125 mm and its breadthis about 105 mm.

The horseshoe 1 comprises a body 2 having a lower ground-contactingsurface 3 and an upper foot-contacting surface 4 spaced from the lowerground-contacting surface. Around at least a part of the upperfoot-contacting surface 4 of the body 2 there is an upstandingperipheral flange portion 5 which is adapted in use to abut against atleast a part of the outer wall of the foot of a horse (not shown).Horseshoe 1 is generally substantially part oval and approximatelyconforms to the periphery of the hoof. The flange portion 5 protects thelower part of the hoof and provides a means of attaching the horseshoe 1to the hoof other than by nailing.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, horseshoe 1 comprises an arcuate bar portion6 shaped to underlie the hoof. Moreover the two ends of the bar portion6 are joined one to another at the rear of the horseshoe 1 by acrosspiece 7. Crosspiece 7 further carries a frogpiece 8 intended tounderlie the frog of the horse's foot. The rear ends of flange portion 5are joined by an upstanding rear flange portion 9 which is formed on theupper side of the crosspiece 7 and which is intended to abut against theheels of the hoof. Rear flange portion 9 is lower than flange portion 5.A chamfered portion 10 is formed on its underside at its front end so asto underlie the toe of the horse's hoof, in use. The flange portion 5extends, in use, from a heel of one side wall of the hoof around the toeof the hoof to a heel of the other side wall.

Body 2 is approximately 10 mm thick and the height of the flange portion5 above upper surface 4 is approximately 20 mm, making the overallheight of the horseshoe approximately 30 mm. Flange portion 5 tapers insection from its root, where its thickness is about 5 mm, toapproximately 3 mm at its upper rim. It is, however, to be understoodthat these are only approximate dimensions and the invention allows forsubstantial variations to fit a wide range of horses' hooves.

As already mentioned, the toe of the shoe is provided with a bevelledportion 10 which slopes upwardly from the undersurface 3.

In use of the horseshoe of FIGS. 1 to 3 for treatment of a horsesuffering from laminitis or some other condition adversely affecting thehorse's foot, the farrier prepares the horse's hoof prior to fitting, inso doing trimming away any hoof material, and possibly also othertissue, that has been affected by the hoof condition. The edge of theground bearing surface, i.e. the undersurface, of the hoof is bevelledand a number of horizontal key-in lines are rasped into the bottom 2 cmto 3 cm or so of the hoof. The horizontal lines are used to increase thepurchase of the bonding agent which is subsequently used to secure thehorseshoe 1 on the hoof, which is otherwise relatively smooth. The toeof the shoe 1 is then, if necessary, further bevelled as required andthe hoof is cleaned with acetone or surgical spirit. For the purposes ofheating the horseshoe 1 the preferred method is to submerge the shoe inboiling, or close to boiling, water until the thermoplastic materialbecomes sufficiently pliable for application to the hoof, which isindicated by the flange portion 5 turning from opaque to transparent.This typically takes between about 30 seconds and about 2 minutes forhorseshoes made out of CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone, depending upon thesize of the shoe 1 and the temperature of the water. However, thehorseshoe 1 should not be left in the hot water until it becomes whollyclear in appearance since it will then lose its form entirely.

When the horseshoe 1 is ready to be fitted, it is removed from the waterand applied to the hoof. The preferred method of application of thehorseshoe 1 to the hoof is to fit the heel first, using the frog as adatum, and forming the softened horseshoe 1 into the contours of thehoof. Particular attention should be paid to shaping the flange portion5 around the hoof to ensure that it is in contact with the hoof aroundits full periphery. Attention should also be given to the shaping of therear flange portion 9 to ensure that it conforms to the shape of theheel. This produces a custom horseshoe for the particular hoof to whichit is fitted. The horseshoe 1 is then rapidly cooled to set thethermoplastic material again. This can be achieved by using an aerosolcoolant which is sprayed onto the horseshoe 1. To avoid startling thehorse by the noise made by the coolant escaping from the aerosol can thefarrier can talk, whistle or croon to the horse. Alternatively a pad offoamed plastics material can be placed around the hoof and the coolantsprayed directly into the foam which deadens the sound made by theescaping coolant. The horseshoe 1 turns opaque again when hard.

A bonding agent can then be applied to cement the horseshoe 1 to thehoof. Preferred bonding agents include those sold under the trade marksEquithane™ and Bond-N-Flex™ or IMPRINT™. Preferably the bonding agent ispreheated in hot water before being injected between the flange portion5 and the hoof. A pointed instrument can be used as necessary to prise agap between the flange portion 5 and hoof so as to allow the bondingagent to flow between them. The bonding agent is injected around theentire periphery of the hoof. Sufficient of the bonding agent is usedsuch that it fills the cavity between flange portion 5 and the hoof tothe top of flange portion 5. The bonding agent usually sets within 10minutes. After the bonding agent has set, final adjustments can be madeto the horseshoe 1 to ensure a comfortable fit for the horse.

If desired, tungsten studs or other non-slip grip-enhancing devices canbe inserted in the horseshoe. This can be done by heating a sharp toolin hot water and pushing its point carefully into the underside of thehorseshoe 1 after it has been fitted to the horse and then inserting atungsten stud into the resulting blind hole whilst its walls are stillsoft and spraying on a coolant to re-freeze the polycaprolactonematerial.

Another way to impart non-slip properties to the horseshoe of theinvention is to incorporate at least one rubber insert in the undersurface of the horseshoe. Such an insert may take the form of a rubberstrip, a rubber chunk, or rubber crumbs or granules. More than onerubber insert can be provided, particularly if rubber chunks, crumbs orgranules are used. The at least one rubber insert is positioned in thehorseshoe so as to form part of the ground-contacting surface of thehorseshoe. If a strip of vulcanised rubber is used, then its dimensionsare preferably chosen such that its length is less than the arcuatedistance measured around the horseshoe from one heel thereof to theother, and is preferably no more than about 80% of this arcuatedistance, such that its width is less than the width of the arcuateportion of the horseshoe, and is preferably no more than about 60% ofsuch width, and such that its thickness is not more than about 60% ofthe overall thickness of that part of the horseshoe that is adapted inuse to underlie the hoof of the horse. Moreover it is preferred that thestrip is trapezoidal in section with the longer of the two parallelsides of the trapezium being disposed uppermost in the horseshoe. Thedifference in length between the two parallel sides of the trapeziumneed be no more than about 2 mm, and is preferably no more than about 1mm to about 1.5 mm. A suitable strip is about 8 mm wide on its undersideand about 6 mm thick and of appropriate length to suit the size of thehorseshoe. If such a rubber strip is placed in the mould prior tocasting of the polycaprolactone material or other thermoplasticmaterial, then it becomes permanently embedded in the horseshoe and isretained therein by reason of its shape. Preferably the rubber strip isshaped so as to be arcuate in plan, although it can be a straight stripappropriately bent to shape. To facilitate correct placement of therubber strip, an arcuate groove can be formed in the bottom of themould. The use of such a groove in the bottom of the mould will furtherensure that the underside of the rubber strip projects below thepolycaprolactone mass from which the major part of the horseshoe isformed. Suitably the rubber strip projects about 2 mm below theunderside of the horseshoe. As suitable rubbers there can be mentionedany non-slip abrasion resistant rubber material, for example any ofthose natural or synthetic rubbers which are conventionally used for themanufacture of motor vehicle tyres or of rubber soles or heels for men'sor ladies' shoes. Besides imparting non-slip properties to the horseshoethe rubber insert may perform other functions, for example as a surfaceupon which to display a trade mark. For this purpose the rubber insertmay have, for example, a triangular shape which is positioned tounderlie a frog part of the horseshoe and to display a trade mark suchas IMPRINT™. In order to ensure retention of a triangular or other shapeof insert in the finished horseshoe, it is preferred that the dimensionsof the upper side of the insert are at least slightly larger than thoseof the underside thereof, for example about 1 mm to about 2 mm larger.When chunks, crumbs or granules of rubber are used these can bescattered on the bottom of the mould before casting of thepolycaprolactone material or other thermoplastic material takes place.The chunks, crumbs or granules of rubber in this case should have amaximum dimension of no more than about 5 mm, and preferably no morethan about 2 mm or 3 mm. After casting of the polycaprolactone material,the rubber chunks, crumbs or granules form at least a part of the undersurface of the horseshoe and, provided that sufficient rubber chunks,crumbs or granules have been used, impart non-slip properties theretoafter casting of the polycaprolactone material or other thermoplasticmaterial has occurred.

The farrier may decide during the preliminary work on the horse's hoofand before the bonding agent is applied that the fit of the horseshoeneeds to be improved, for example to provide support where hoof and/ortissue has been removed. In this case he can clean the horseshoe andthen can build up the upper surface of the shoe by softening someadditional polycaprolactone, possibly having also reheated thehorseshoe, and moulding the additional polycaprolactone in place toprovide the correct support for the horse's foot. This can be achievedvery quickly.

In a modification of the horseshoe of FIGS. 1 to 3, the flange portion 5is arranged to extend part of the way only, for example from about onehalf to two thirds of the way only, from the toe to the heel along eachside of the horseshoe. Upon bonding such a horseshoe to a horse's hoof,the result is that the heels of the hoof can still flex with respect tothe rest of the horse's foot.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the use of ahorseshoe in accordance with the invention radically alters thetraditional methods of farriery in that the farrier can use a bucket ofhot water to soften a plastics material to shape the horseshoe in theway that the treatment of the horse requires instead of having to usethe traditional forge and anvil or having to trim or assemble a plasticshorseshoe from a kit of parts. Such a new method of shoeing a horse canbe carried out easily and quickly wherever the horse happens to bestabled without having to transport the horse to the farrier's smithy.Moreover shoeing can be effected with minimum trauma being caused to thehorse.

In place of CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone it is alternatively possible toutilise a mixture of CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone with one or both ofCAPA® 680 caprolactone and CAPA® 640 polycaprolactone. Such mixturesinclude, for example, an 80:20 or an 83:17 mixture by weight of CAPA®650 and CAPA® 680 polycaprolactones. In some cases it may also bebeneficial to admix a small quantity, for example up to about 10% byweight of CAPA® 640 polycaprolactone with CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone orwith a CAPA® 650/CAPA® 680 polycaprolactone mixture.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show respectively a larger horseshoe 11 and a smallerhorseshoe 12 which are generally similar to the horseshoe 1 of FIGS. 1to 3.

FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a modified form of horseshoe 21 which isgenerally similar to that of FIGS. 1 to 3 but in which the flangeportion 25 extends from the front of the horseshoe 21, which willunderlie the toe of the horse's hoof, in use, backwards along each sideonly a part of the overall distance towards the part of the horseshoewhich will underlie the respective heel of the horse's hoof in use. Inaddition there is no flange on horseshoe 21 corresponding to the rearflange portion 9 of the horseshoe 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3 so that thehorseshoe 21 is open at the back. When horseshoe 21 is fitted to ahorse's foot, using the same general technique as described above, theflange portion 25 enables it to be firmly attached to the toe and frontpart of the hoof but the design of the horseshoe 21 allows the heels toflex and to move relative to the horseshoe 21.

Although the invention has been illustrated with reference to horseshoeswith a crosspiece and a frogpiece, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that many alternative designs of horseshoeincorporating the teachings of the invention can be made. Examplesinclude horseshoes of the so-called egg, egg-heartbar, square toedheartbar, and straightbar types. The invention is also applicable to theproduction of foal correction boots, as well as to horseshoes withsoles, with graduation, or with medial, lateral, anterior or posteriorextensions.

FIGS. 9 to 16 illustrate a preferred method in accordance with theinvention of shoeing a hoofed animal, such as a horse.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a horse's hoof 100 having a number ofindentations 101 that have been made by a farrier in the outer hornywall of the hoof 100 in readiness for attachment of a horseshoe inaccordance with the invention. Indentations 101 can be formed by anyconvenient method, for example using a router tool, a knife, such as aloop knife, or a farrier's instrument for removing horn from a horse'shoof. Preferably, however, a router tool is used to make indentations101. These indentations are made in a lower portion of the hoof whichextends from a ground border 102 of the hoof 100 upwards a distance offrom about 1 cm to about 2 cm. The shape and size of indentations 101are discussed further below. Typically the farrier should make from fiveto ten indentations 101 substantially regularly spaced apart from eachother in the lower portion of the hoof horn outer surface, usually fromsix to eight indentations 101 being an adequate number.

After or before forming indentations 101 in hoof 100 the farrier alsopreferably bevels the lower edge of the horny outer wall, convenientlyby use of a rasp or file, so as to provide a bevelled edge 103 aroundthe front part of the ground border 102 of hoof 100. Also visible inFIG. 10 are the sole 104, the frog 105 and the heels 106 of hoof 100.

FIG. 11 illustrates the hoof 100 after the next stage of the process ofthe invention, namely fitting of a horseshoe 21 (see FIGS. 6 to 8).During this step and the succeeding steps the farrier is advised to wearlatex gloves.

Before fitting of the horseshoe 21 to the hoof 100, the farrier shouldfirst clean the outer wall of the hoof 100 with a solvent for grease,such as surgical spirit or acetone. As described above, the horseshoe 21is first softened by immersion in hot water in the temperature range offrom about 65° C. to about 100° C., preferably near boiling, i.e. atleast about 90° C., until its flange portion 25 becomes transparent.(The horseshoe 21 should not be left in the hot water until it becomescompletely transparent or it will lose all of its form). The horseshoe21 should then be removed carefully from the water and any excess waterallowed to drain off. A bead of IMPRINT™ bonding agent can then beapplied to the inside of the flange portion 25, even though it is stillwet; a further bead of IMPRINT™ bonding agent is preferably also appliedaround a corresponding portion of the outer surface of the hoof hornouter wall. While its flange portion 25 is still pliable the horseshoe21 is then applied to the underside of the hoof 100. In so doing thefarrier should fit the horseshoe 21 first at the heels 106 end of thehoof 100, using the frog 105 as a datum, and then press the shoe 21 ontothe hoof 100 so as to help conform the upper face of horseshoe 21 to theshape of the underside of hoof 100. While the flange portion 25 remainsmanually mouldable, the farrier should then mould this to the outersurface of the hoof horn outer wall. In this moulding operation thefarrier should apply pressure with his fingers to the outer surface ofthe flange portion 25 in the region of each of the indentations 101 soas to press material of the flange portion 25 into each of theindentations 101. During this moulding operation care should be takennot to cause over-thinning of any significant part of the flange portion25.

FIG. 12 shows the underside of hoof 100 with the horseshoe 21 appliedthereto. Reference numeral 104 indicates the sole of the hoof 100.

In FIG. 13 there is shown a sagittal section through hoof 100 afterformation of an indentation 101 and before application of a horseshoe21. As can be seen from FIG. 13 indentation 101 has a bulb-like section.Conveniently it is formed using a router tool in the hoof horn outerwall 107. Its depth is preferably from about 1 mm up to about 80% of thethickness of the hoof horn outer wall 107, while its maximum transversedimension at the surface of the hoof horn outer wall 107 is typicallyfrom about 2 mm up to about 10 mm.

FIG. 14 is a similar sagittal view of hoof 100 after moulding of theflange portion 25 to the hoof horn outer wall 107 and shows how some ofthe material of the flange portion 25 has been pressed into theindentation 101, as indicated by reference numeral 108.

In FIGS. 13 and 14 there are also shown the laminae 109, the bone 110,the corium 111, and the white line 112.

Once the farrier is satisfied with the moulding operation and with theresulting shoe balance, re-hardening of the material of the horseshoe 21can be accelerated by use of a refrigerant spray directed on thehorseshoe 21 from an aerosol spray can. Upon such re-hardening thehorseshoe 21 again becomes opaque and the hoof 100 can be placed on theground again. There is now union between the hoof 100 and horseshoe 21,with the latter being attached firmly to the hoof 100 without movement.

In order to further improve this union, a bonding agent, such as a twopart adhesive, for example, a urethane polymer adhesive, can be appliedfrom a twin cartridge pack fitted with a mixer nozzle for the twocomponents. Preferably the pack is preheated by immersion in hot waterso as to accelerate subsequent cure thereof. As already mentioned, thebonding agent can be applied to the flange portion 25 while it is stillsoftened. Alternatively, but less preferably, the bonding agent can beapplied along the length of the upper edge of the flange portion 25 andlipping the join between the flange portion 25 and the hoof horn outerwall. A pointed instrument can be used during this operation in order toply the upper edge of flange portion 25 away from the hoof horn outerwall. Once the farrier is satisfied that the bonding agent has beenuniformly applied all along the upper edge of flange portion 25, aspatula can be used to smooth the surface of the resulting joint. Thehorse should then be encouraged to stand as still as possible until thebonding agent has hardened, normally about 10 to about 15 minutes.Complete hardening of the bonding agent will typically takeapproximately an hour.

If during the course of the fitting of the horseshoe 21 to hoof 100 thefarrier should want to remould the already hardened flange portion 25,this can readily be achieved by directing hot air from a hot air gunagainst the appropriate part of the outer surface of flange portion 25.During such a procedure the hot air gun should be pointing downward andaway from the limb. To avoid misdirecting the hot air onto any part ofthe horse's leg other than the hoof, it is advisable for the farrier toplace his hand around the coronary border 113 of hoof 100. Havingre-softened the flange portion 25 in this way, the farrier can softenfirst the flange portion 25 along one side of hoof 100 and peel it awayfrom the hoof horn outer wall, before treating the flange portion 25along the other side of the hoof in a similar way. The flange portion 25can then be re-moulded to the hoof 100.

The indentations 101 in FIGS. 9 and 11 are substantially elliptical inplan and are, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, bulb-shaped in section. FIGS.15 and 16 illustrate alternative shapes for indentations, in plan and insection respectively. It should, however, be noted that only thelowermost indentation in FIG. 15 lies on the lower portion of the hoofhorn outer surface. The other forms of indentation are shown at highlocations than would be used in actual practice, solely for convenienceand to avoid proliferation of Figures. Hence any of the forms ofindentation illustrated would, in practice, be positioned at a heightabove the ground border 102 similar to that indicated for indentations101 in FIGS. 9 and 11. Indentation 114 has a rectangular section,indentation 115 has a square one, indentation 116 has a V section,indentation 117 has a triangulation section, indentation 118 a U-shapedsection, indentation 119 a bulb section (like the section of indentation101 of FIG. 13) section, and indentation 120 has a semi-circularsection.

In FIG. 16 indentation 121 has an elliptical or oval configuration inplan, indentation 122 has a round one, indentation 123 has a rectangularconfiguration, indentation 124 has a square one, and indentation 125 hasa triangular configuration in plan.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in farriery that the methoddescribed in relation to FIGS. 9 to 16 is an improvement upon shoeing ahorse with a tender or diseased hoof with a conventional metal shoesince it involves no nailing and requires the use of low temperaturesonly. Thus the farrier does not need to apply a hot shoe to a tenderhoof with a resulting lack of trauma for the horse. Since the shoe isapplied to the hoof in softened form, it can be moulded in situ to acertain extent to fit the particular hoof to which it is being applied,thereby ensuring a more comfortable fit for the horse. Moreover becauseno hammering is required there is a greatly reduced risk of causing painto a lame horse. The procedure for heating and fitting a shoe inaccordance with the invention is quick and so the time for which theanimal has to stand on three legs only is reduced. This can be a veryrelevant consideration when the horse is lame.

It will be appreciated by skilled farriers that the horseshoes of theinvention have advantages over conventional metal horseshoes even forshoeing horses that have healthy hooves and that are not lame. Thustheir lightness compared to metal horseshoes can be advantageous whenshoeing racehorses.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a further form of horseshoe 201 which isgenerally similar to shoe 21 of FIGS. 6 to 8 except that a cut outportion 202 is formed in the frogpiece 203. This cut out portion impartsa certain degree of flexibility to horseshoe 201 and allows limitedrelative vertical movement of the heels 204 and 205. Reference numeral206 indicates the flange portion around the toe of the horseshoe 201,which is similar to flange 25 of horseshoe 21 of FIGS. 6 to 8, whilereference numeral 207 indicates a chamfered portion at the toe end ofthe horseshoe 201.

If desired, a minor chamfered surface can also be provided on the upperface of horseshoe 201 adjacent the inner arcuate edge 208. Thischamfered surface can make an angle of about 15° with the remainder ofthe upper surface of the horseshoe 201 within the flange portion 206. Asimilar minor chamfered surface can be provided, if desired, on any ofthe other illustrated embodiments of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of shoeing a hoofed animal, comprising:(a) providing a shoe for a hoof of the animal, the shoe comprising abody which is made from a thermoplastic composition which comprises amatrix of a thermoplastic material having a softening point of less than100° C. and which has a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, inuse, with the ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced fromthe lower ground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, an undersideof a foot of a hoofed animal, the body having around at least a part ofits upper foot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheral flangeportion, and the shoe being adapted to be fitted, in use, on anunderside of the hoof with the flange portion extending upwards from aground border of the hoof adjacent a lower portion of an outer hornywall of the hoof; (b) forming a plurality of indentations in the lowerportion of the outer horny wall of the hoof; (c) heating the shoe to atemperature sufficient to soften the thermoplastic material but belowits melting point; (d) placing the heated shoe against the underside ofthe hoof with its flange portion adjacent the lower portion of the outerhorny wall of the hoof; and (e) pressing the flange portion of theheated shoe into contact with the outer horny wall of the hoof so as tocause material of the flange portion to enter each of the plurality ofindentations, whereby following cooling of the shoe the shoe is retainedon the hoof.
 2. A method according to claim 1, which includes thefurther step of: (f) applying an adhesive between the flange portion ofthe shoe and the lower outer portion of the outer horny wall of thehoof.
 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein prior to step (e) thelower outer portion of the outer horny wall of the hoof is cleaned withan organic solvent.
 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein theorganic solvent is acetone or surgical spirit.
 5. A method according toclaim 1, wherein subsequent to step (e) a coolant spray is applied tothe flange portion to accelerate cooling and re-hardening of the flangeportion.
 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) comprisesheating the shoe by immersion in hot water.
 7. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material has a freezing point of atleast about 30° C. and a melting point or melting point range of lessthan about 95° C.
 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein thethermoplastic material is a polycaprolactone having a freezing point ofabout 35° C., and a melting point range of from about 58° C. to about60° C.
 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplasticmaterial is a polyester of ε-caprolactone and butane-1,4-diol.
 10. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein the hoofed animal is a horse andwherein the body comprises an arcuate bar portion shaped to underlie thehoof.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the bar portion hastwo ends joined one to another at a rear of the shoe by a crosspiece.12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the shoe includes afrogpiece intended to underlie the frog of a horse's foot.
 13. A methodaccording to claim 12, wherein the frogpiece is provided with a cutoutportion that extends from a rearward end of the frogpiece part waytowards a front end of the frogpiece.
 14. A method according to claim10, wherein the flange portion includes an upstanding rear flangeadapted to abut against heels of the hoof.
 15. A method according toclaim 10, wherein the shoe is moulded as a one piece moulding.
 16. Amethod according to claim 10, wherein a chamfered portion is formed onthe underside of the shoe at its front end so as to underlie a toe ofthe horse's hoof, in use.
 17. A method according to claim 10, whereinthe hoof has a toe and a heel on each of a pair of opposite side wallsand wherein the flange portion is adapted so as to extend, in use, froma heel of one side wall around the toe of the hoof to the heel of theopposite side wall of the hoof.
 18. A method according to claim 10,wherein the hoof has a toe and a heel on each of a pair of opposite sidewalls and wherein the flange portion is adapted to extend, in use, fromthe toe of the hoof back towards each of the heels of the hoof adistance which is less than the overall distance between the toe and therespective one of the heels.
 19. A method according to claim 10, whereinthe flange portion tapers in section from a root of the flange portiontowards an upper free rim portion of the flange portion.
 20. A methodaccording to claim 19, wherein the flange portion tapers in section froma thickness of about 5 mm at its root to about 3 mm at its upper freerim.
 21. A method according to claim 10, wherein the body is about 10 mmdeep and the flange portion extends upwards from the body for about 10mm, so as to give an overall height to the shoe of about 20 mm.
 22. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein the shoe is provided on its lowersurface with a plurality of tungsten studs or other non-slipgrip-enhancing devices.
 23. A method according to claim 1, wherein thethermoplastic composition further comprises a filler material.
 24. Amethod according to claim 23, wherein the filler material comprisescrumb rubber.
 25. A method according to claim 1, wherein the lowersurface of the body is provided with at least one rubber insert therein.26. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indentations are made ata height of from about 1 cm up to about 2 cm above the ground border ofthe hoof.
 27. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step (b) theindentations are made using a router tool, a knife, or an instrument forremoving horn.
 28. A method according to claim 1, wherein the depth ofthe indentations ranges from about 1 mm up to the depth of the outerhorny wall of the hoof.
 29. A method according to claim 1, wherein theindentations are of round, oval, rectangular, triangular, or squareshape.
 30. A method according to claim 1, wherein in sagittal sectionthe indentations have a semi-circular, U-shaped, V-shaped, square,rectangular, or bulb shape.
 31. A method according to claim 1, whereinthe indentations have a maximum transverse dimension of from about 2 mmup to about 10 mm.